Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Taytay

For one person, living is cheaper in Taytay: $721 a month against $1,202 in Playa del Carmen, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Taytay, Philippines
Playa del Carmen
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Taytay
🇵🇭 Philippines
$721
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Playa del Carmen and in Taytay

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Playa del Carmen and in Taytay actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,202 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $721 in Taytay, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $1,202
  • Taytay $721

A couple spends around $2,082 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,105 in Taytay, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,082
  • Taytay $1,105

A family of three spends $2,962 per month in Playa del Carmen vs $1,489 in Taytay, rent included.

  • Playa del Carmen $2,962
  • Taytay $1,489

Playa del Carmen costs about 67% more than Taytay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Playa del Carmen and Taytay are more affordable than the global median – Playa del Carmen 11% lower, Taytay 47% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.67 MX$201
$4.75 ₱302
124.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.80 MX$824
$18.63 ₱1,183
135.10%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.79 MX$222
$3.10 ₱197
280.32%
Cappuccino
$3.79 MX$71.2
$2.43 ₱154
55.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.30 MX$24.41
$0.75 ₱47.93
73.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MX$15.69
$0.49 ₱30.92
69.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 MX$59.2
$1.16 ₱73.6
171.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.93 MX$92.9
$1.52 ₱96.8
224.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 MX$26.51
$1.65 ₱105
-14.55%
White Bread (500g)
$2.20 MX$41.32
$1.14 ₱72.5
92.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.47 MX$27.71
$0.94 ₱60.0
56.38%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.99
$1.99 ₱126
25.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.29 MX$137
$4.79 ₱304
52.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.95 MX$150
$3.28 ₱208
142.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.86 MX$242
$6.93 ₱440
85.57%
Apples (1kg)
$2.90 MX$54.5
$2.17 ₱138
33.64%
Banana (1kg)
$1.38 MX$26.03
$1.50 ₱95.3
-8.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.49 MX$46.88
$2.30 ₱146
8.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.03 MX$38.20
$1.01 ₱64.0
100.99%
Potato (1kg)
$2.02 MX$38.11
$1.65 ₱105
22.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 MX$35.82
$1.69 ₱107
12.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.14 MX$21.54
$0.95 ₱60.3
20.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$23.32
$0.48 ₱30.34
158.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.27 MX$80.4
$2.93 ₱186
45.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.81 MX$185
$8.37 ₱532
17.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.85
$0.95 ₱60.3
67.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 MX$51.7
$1.96 ₱124
40.31%
🚌 Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 MX$9.69
$0.24 ₱15.33
112.50%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.39 MX$515
$12.52 ₱795
118.77%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.76 MX$89.6
$0.75 ₱47.78
534.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.25 MX$61.1
$0.20 ₱12.71
1525.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 MX$101
$1.92 ₱122
180.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.53 MX$28.76
$1.24 ₱78.5
23.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.2K MX$399.2K
$20.6K ₱1.3M
2.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K MX$437.8K
$18.6K ₱1.2M
25.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$83.5 MX$1,571
$121 ₱7,666
-30.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.19 MX$436
$15.88 ₱1,008
46.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.61 MX$520
$23.05 ₱1,464
19.78%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$56.4 MX$1,062
$31.04 ₱1,971
81.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.19 MX$531
$5.26 ₱334
435.93%
Cinema Ticket
$5.00 MX$94.1
$5.16 ₱328
-3.10%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$207 MX$3,897
$132 ₱8,405
56.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,231 MX$98.4K
$8,678 ₱551.0K
-39.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.45 MX$818
$28.80 ₱1,829
50.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.54 MX$801
$19.45 ₱1,235
118.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.8 MX$1,369
$70.2 ₱4,454
3.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$88.4 MX$1,663
$54.3 ₱3,444
62.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$995 MX$18.7K
$248 ₱15.7K
301.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$382 MX$7,197
$168 ₱10.7K
127.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 MX$31.5K
$487 ₱30.9K
243.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,081 MX$20.3K
$355 ₱22.5K
204.54%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,909 MX$73.6K
$2,637 ₱167.4K
48.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,138 MX$115.5K
$1,100 ₱69.8K
457.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Playa del Carmen
Taytay
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$832 MX$15.7K
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.45
6.75
69.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: November 2, 2026

Last update for Taytay: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Playa del Carmen
$382
Taytay
$168 56% $214
Groceries & Markets
Playa del Carmen
$257
Taytay
$169 34.5% $89
Eating Out
Playa del Carmen
$200
Taytay
$90 54.9% $110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Playa del Carmen
$134
Taytay
$160 18.9% $25
Clothing & Footwear
Playa del Carmen
$111
Taytay
$78 30.1% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Playa del Carmen
$66
Taytay
$41 37.7% $25
Getting Around
Playa del Carmen
$50
Taytay
$15 69.8% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $995 in Playa del Carmen versus $248 in Taytay. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44 in Playa del Carmen versus $19 in Taytay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $257 vs $169 – making Taytay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Playa del Carmen
🇵🇭 Taytay
🕒 Local time
17:17 5:17 PM
06:17 6:17 AM
13 h ahead of Playa del Carmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,923
386,451
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.82 MXN (100 MXN = 5.31 USD). 1 EUR = 21.19 MXN (100 MXN = 4.72 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 63.49 PHP (100 PHP = 1.58 USD). 1 EUR = 71.47 PHP (100 PHP = 1.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Playa del Carmen Taytay 15,030 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Playa del Carmen
  • Taytay

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Playa del Carmen vs Taytay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taytay cheaper than Playa del Carmen?
Yes – Playa del Carmen is pricier by about 67%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,804 per month in Playa del Carmen and $1,082 in Taytay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Taytay, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $248 there versus $995 in Playa del Carmen.
What are total monthly expenses in Playa del Carmen and in Taytay?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,202 in Playa del Carmen and $721 in Taytay. That makes Taytay about 40% cheaper.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 54% less in Taytay. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Playa del Carmen or in Taytay?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Taytay, where all-in costs run around $721, than in Playa del Carmen at $1,202. In Taytay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Playa del Carmen it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Playa del Carmen or Taytay more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Taytay – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Taytay is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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